1/ @GDA__online delighted that CEO, @tressaburke receives honorary Doctor of @OpenUniversity in recognition of her commitment to Public Services including exceptional contribution as campaigner for equality & tireless efforts to improve the lives of thousands of disabled people.
2/ On receiving the honour, Tressa said: “I am sincerely honoured to be receiving recognition from the Open University because it is such a unique & exceptional institution, sharing @GDA__online passion for tackling inequalities & injustice & making learning accessible for all.
3/ @GDA__online & @OpenUniversity are mission driven & share ethos of commitment to equality, diversity & inclusion, tackling barriers which prevent disadvantaged people from accessing learning & ensuring that those facing inequalities are supported to fulfill their potential.
4/ Over many years I have witnessed the transformational potential of learning for thousands of disabled people so I couldn’t be prouder to become part of the OU family which changes people’s lives in this way every day. #OUFamily
5/ I am privileged to lead and work alongside a wonderful and dedicated Team who serve and support our 5000+ strong community of diverse disabled people every day and it is in their name and on behalf of .@GDA__online members above all, that I accept this humbling tribute.
.@COPFS recently published data on hate crime in Scotland reveals that disability hate crime in Scotland in 2021-2022 underwent the highest increase of reports since legislation was introduced in 2010. 🧵1/
A 44% increase on last year’s figures confirms the rise of hate crimes and incidents directed at disabled people reported to us by GDA members. 2/
Anyone who has been a victim or a witness of hate crime who needs help to report it to @PoliceScotland can use the GDA’s Third Party Reporting service to support you to report. gda.scot/what-we-do/inf…